that's how it seems like everyone's week is starting so far. Jo - great suggestions on the music. I have to grab John Denver (or his music!) when I feel really stressed out - something about the nature in most of them soothes me. Sounds like some of your choices might not be that far different!

Jana, thanks - some great suggestions there. I really need to get myself together with my regular house/kids work so I am better prepared to face the onslaught that's coming. I described it to Honey as a wrecking ball - it hasn't hit yet but I keep seeing glimpses of it in the distance. And no amount of fuzzy cotton wool is going to soften the blow!

I had a helpful chat with my accountant and good friend this evening who helped me get some perspective back. She reminded me that one of the most important things I have (in abundance) is common sense. I need to see if I can chat with her when she's not so ridiculously busy (yeah right!) and see if I can get some kind of visual (aka. a list!) of the scope of work that's going tobe encompassed in that wrecking ball, and some timescales. We're not like a regular start-up because we will be taking on a number of sales staff just to keep the company afloat, right from the beginning and we need to be VAT registered the moment we own the franchise, so I need to be prepared for that, because we are going to be well over the limit. I wouldn't have this feeling of being overwhelmed if we were starting small, but we aren't, so I have to dive right into a business that is aready nearly 5yrs old and do everything from scratch so that DH can do his job. I can continue somebody else's systems without a problem, but I don't have that luxury, and as my good friend pointed out, one problem I face is that I don't know which things I need to be aware of. Thank goodness for her is all I can say, because she knows most of it and can point me in the right directions. It might cost us more in outside help to get us going, but rather than try it myself and get in an illegal mess I know where I wanna spend the money!

But none of that can happen right now because my FIL is being operated on for lung cancer on Wednesday. DH is exactly where he needs to be till at least the end of next week and hopefully the soon-to-be-ex-franchisee can hang on till then so that all hell does not break loose when we aren't equipped to deal with it. Of course we are still currently in a position to be able to walk away from it. Some people are trying to put DH in a difficult (and very illegal) position, but he's walked away, and he'll keep on walking if they don't see sense. We've still got nothing to lose at this point, and the Singaporean mentality won't be able to see that we can walk away from a very good job and an apparently good business opportunity. They just won't see that as a possibility.

sorry - I'm kind of talking in riddles a bit and I'm sure it makes little sense to any of you, but whilst I want to vent I obviously have to be a bit careful since this is public domain.

so yes, lists... anyone who says they don't use them or like them or need them is daft! Nobody can keep this amount of data in their heads, organise it in their heads and have it all come out in the right order when they need it. Something will always get overlooked. That doesn't mean that lists are perfect - I often forget my grocery list, but having written it down I have a visual that usually helps me remember most things, even without the list being physically with me. Try lists. Not on Post-its though... small A5 books are great because they'll fit inside your bag mostly and all your lists will stay in one place. Unless you have a half dozen books like me!

I gotta stop babbling and have some more wine!

Stay positive all, and stay in charge. Honey, you know I'm proud of you for making such a fabulous decision and really taking the bull by the horns with the learning thing. Since she didn't fully explain, these courses could eventually lead to a degree if she adds on more courses and gets the right number of points (Becky would know Open University), so she's taking charge of her future in a serious way and I think that should charge us all up with enthusiasm. Especially anybody who wasn't up till 5am last night...

*yawn*

g'night all...

Kerri.